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From 'The Villages Daily Sun' - Florida
Retired law enforcement officers qualify to carry concealed weapons
By DAN SULLIVAN, DAILY SUN
BUSHNELL — Larry Austin didn’t flinch as the blasts from the other 19 guns united into a deafening boom.
As the bullets tore through the targets and the shooting began to die down, Austin pulled his Glock .40 automatic handgun from its holster, aimed and fired two quick shots.
Two small holes instantly opened in the center of the target — the “kill zone” on a black paper silhouette in the shape of a person.
It was a perfect hit.
The men repeated the process, stepping back from a distance of 5 yards, to 7 yards, and finally to 15 yards, each firing a total of about 48 rounds before a team of Sumter County sheriff’s deputies moved forward to examine the hits.
Austin, a retired New York State Police trooper from the Village Rio Grande, was among 130 retired law enforcement officers in attendance Friday morning at the concealed weapons qualification shoot on the grounds of the Sumter Correctional Institution.
The second annual event was hosted by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office in order to help retired law enforcement officers qualify to carry concealed weapons in accordance with the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004. The federal law allows retired officers to carry concealed weapons regardless of state and local regulations.
“It makes us a safer community to have trained carriers of weapons,” said Sumter County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jack Jordan, who helped organize Friday’s shoot. “One of these guys could end up saving one of my deputies’ lives one day.”
In order to qualify for their concealed weapons permit, the retired officers are required to demonstrate proficiency with the weapon every year in a shooting course that meets specific state requirements, Jordan said.
“If you didn’t have that qualification, you wouldn’t be able to utilize that statute,” Jordan said. “So the state of Florida established a course of fire to demonstrate proficiency.”
The Sheriff’s Office is one of few area law enforcement agencies to offer such an exam to retired officers, attracting some participants from outside the county.
Corky Hatch, another retired New York State Police trooper, traveled from Daytona to join Austin and Villager Tom Kenny, also a retired trooper, in taking the qualification exam.
“We’re just really happy that the sheriff is doing this because there’s not a lot of places we can go to qualify,” Hatch said.
When taking the shooting test, the men must use their own weapons to fire at least 32 of the 48 rounds into the target’s kill zone in order to qualify for the concealed weapons permit.
“If you haven’t shot continually, it can be difficult,” Austin said. “But, it wasn’t difficult for the three of us to pass.”
Sheriff’s officials estimated that about 90 to 100 of Friday’s attendees came directly from The Villages.
Over 200 retired law enforcement officers live in The Villages, according to Larry Bowlby, the former president of The Villages’ Police and Fire Retirees Club.
“Having someone who is trained in the use of firearms while they are out in society is very beneficial for the public,” Bowlby said. “Sheriff (Bill) Farmer and Chief Deputy Jordan have been nothing short of terrific. Nothing compares to what they’ve done here.”
While any retired law enforcement officer was welcome at Friday’s shoot, future attendance at the event may force sheriff’s officials to limit attendance to Sumter County residents.
“I have not restricted it to only Sumter County people,” Jordan said. “But down the road we may have to restrict it.”
In the meantime, Austin and his fellow troopers plan to return every year in order to requalify.
“We have the potential to save someone’s life,” Austin said. “We’re still active enough to know what to do.”
Dan Sullivan is a reporter with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9059, or [email protected].
Retired law enforcement officers qualify to carry concealed weapons
By DAN SULLIVAN, DAILY SUN
BUSHNELL — Larry Austin didn’t flinch as the blasts from the other 19 guns united into a deafening boom.
As the bullets tore through the targets and the shooting began to die down, Austin pulled his Glock .40 automatic handgun from its holster, aimed and fired two quick shots.
Two small holes instantly opened in the center of the target — the “kill zone” on a black paper silhouette in the shape of a person.
It was a perfect hit.
The men repeated the process, stepping back from a distance of 5 yards, to 7 yards, and finally to 15 yards, each firing a total of about 48 rounds before a team of Sumter County sheriff’s deputies moved forward to examine the hits.
Austin, a retired New York State Police trooper from the Village Rio Grande, was among 130 retired law enforcement officers in attendance Friday morning at the concealed weapons qualification shoot on the grounds of the Sumter Correctional Institution.
The second annual event was hosted by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office in order to help retired law enforcement officers qualify to carry concealed weapons in accordance with the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004. The federal law allows retired officers to carry concealed weapons regardless of state and local regulations.
“It makes us a safer community to have trained carriers of weapons,” said Sumter County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jack Jordan, who helped organize Friday’s shoot. “One of these guys could end up saving one of my deputies’ lives one day.”
In order to qualify for their concealed weapons permit, the retired officers are required to demonstrate proficiency with the weapon every year in a shooting course that meets specific state requirements, Jordan said.
“If you didn’t have that qualification, you wouldn’t be able to utilize that statute,” Jordan said. “So the state of Florida established a course of fire to demonstrate proficiency.”
The Sheriff’s Office is one of few area law enforcement agencies to offer such an exam to retired officers, attracting some participants from outside the county.
Corky Hatch, another retired New York State Police trooper, traveled from Daytona to join Austin and Villager Tom Kenny, also a retired trooper, in taking the qualification exam.
“We’re just really happy that the sheriff is doing this because there’s not a lot of places we can go to qualify,” Hatch said.
When taking the shooting test, the men must use their own weapons to fire at least 32 of the 48 rounds into the target’s kill zone in order to qualify for the concealed weapons permit.
“If you haven’t shot continually, it can be difficult,” Austin said. “But, it wasn’t difficult for the three of us to pass.”
Sheriff’s officials estimated that about 90 to 100 of Friday’s attendees came directly from The Villages.
Over 200 retired law enforcement officers live in The Villages, according to Larry Bowlby, the former president of The Villages’ Police and Fire Retirees Club.
“Having someone who is trained in the use of firearms while they are out in society is very beneficial for the public,” Bowlby said. “Sheriff (Bill) Farmer and Chief Deputy Jordan have been nothing short of terrific. Nothing compares to what they’ve done here.”
While any retired law enforcement officer was welcome at Friday’s shoot, future attendance at the event may force sheriff’s officials to limit attendance to Sumter County residents.
“I have not restricted it to only Sumter County people,” Jordan said. “But down the road we may have to restrict it.”
In the meantime, Austin and his fellow troopers plan to return every year in order to requalify.
“We have the potential to save someone’s life,” Austin said. “We’re still active enough to know what to do.”
Dan Sullivan is a reporter with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9059, or [email protected].